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Parliament approves bill on national flag
April 24, 2003 11:15 IST
Parliament on Wednesday approved a bill providing stringent punishment for disrespect to the national flag and symbols.The bill, which was introduced on March 7, seeks to provide for imprisonment of more than one year for the second and subsequent offence under the Act.
The bill also proposes to amend the Act to insert the word 'disrespect' to widen the scope of the expression 'insult'.
Replying to a discussion on Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2003, Minister of State for Home I D Swami said the amendment assumes significance in the wake of permission to hoist the national flag even at homes and the need to hoist it in a proper manner.
Earlier, Communist Party of India-Marxist member Chandrakala Pandey said dress designers should be prohibited from using the tricolour to stitch shirts, caps and other garments.
Telugu Desam Party leader N P Durga said using national anthem as a ring tone in cell phones was gross disrespect and the government should issue instructions to stop this.
Painting or tattooing national flag on faces and other body parts and cricketers sticking flags on pads was also inappropriate, she said.
R K Anand of the Congress alleged that on March 12, 2003, BJP legislators in Jharkhand, led by a minister of state, snatched the national flag from the speaker's podium and smashed a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi.
The state government, instead of taking action, had elevated the minister of state to cabinet rank, he said.